Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of drilling and processing of wells. More particularly, present embodiments relate to systems and methods for establishing tubular connections on a drilling rig.
In conventional oil and gas operations, a well is typically drilled to a desired depth with a drill string, which includes drill pipe and a drilling bottom hole assembly. Once the desired depth is reached, the drill string is removed from the hole and casing is run into the vacant hole. Casing may be defined as pipe or tubular that is placed in a well to prevent the well from caving in, to contain fluids, and to assist with efficient extraction of product. Tubular may be defined as including drill pipe, casing, or any other type of substantially cylindrical component or assembly utilized in drilling or well processing operations.
In conventional operations, tubular is often lowered into the wellbore by a top drive. A top drive typically includes a quill, which is a short length of pipe that couples with the upper end of the tubular, and one or more motors configured to turn the quill. The top drive is typically suspended from a traveling block above the rig floor so that it may be raised and lowered throughout drilling operations. To establish connections between a new length of tubular and an existing string of tubular, the length of tubular is lowered onto the existing string via the top drive, and the top drive applies a torque to thread the new length of tubular onto the existing string. It is now recognized that traditional operations used to monitor and control the amount of torque applied while making these connections have certain drawbacks. For example, existing systems allow for the top drive to apply too much torque or not enough torque while forming tubular connections.
It is now recognized that there exists a need for improved systems and methods for applying a desired amount of torque while establishing tubular connections.